特別推薦：感恩節特輯 每逢11月第四個星期四，美國人迎來了自己最重要的傳統節日感恩節。感恩節，原是清教徒為感謝上天賜與的好收成，同時，也表達了新英格蘭“移民”對印第安土著居民最初的謝意。如今，這一傳統節日更多意味著合家團聚。感恩節特輯幫您了解一個全方位的“感恩節”。 背景知識：The Story of American Thanksgiving (Contributed by Bing Wei) 小測試： Thanksgiving Diner Quiz 流行金曲：“風之彩”，感恩的心哪兒去了 美文欣賞：誰是你的守護天使 VOA放送：感恩節，火雞銷購更瘋狂                                           團圓、美食聚感恩                     布什特赦感恩節火雞

感恩節到來，火雞將成為美國人飯桌上的主角。據美國國家火雞聯合會估計，在感恩節和下個月的圣誕節期間，美國人將吃掉數千萬只火雞。在美國，火雞越來越受歡迎，其消耗量遠高于豬肉、牛肉、雞肉和羊肉。說火雞多變一點都不假，它能以各種姿態展現在柜臺上，凍火雞、熏火雞、整火雞……

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

American turkey producers will raise close to 270 million of the big birds this year. That is the estimate of the National Turkey Federation, an industry group. Tens of millions will be the traditional star of Thanksgiving holiday meals this Thursday and next month at Christmas.

Americans eat more turkey throughout the year, and more of it in general, than in the past. The federation says people ate an average of seven and one-half kilograms of turkey last year. But they ate three times as much pork, four times as much beef and five times as much chicken.

Lamb was a distant fifth in popularity behind turkey.

Turkeys produced more than three thousand million dollars in farm earnings last year. The five top producing states were Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia and Missouri. The top five export markets for turkey meat from the United States were Mexico, China, Canada, Russia and Taiwan.

Turkey is sold many ways -- frozen, fresh, whole, cut into parts, ground up like hamburger, thinly sliced, roasted, fried, smoked. People eat it in sandwiches, in soups, in salads, in sausages and more. But at Thanksgiving people generally buy a whole bird -- in some cases, all prepared and ready to serve.

Modern turkeys are designed for industrial production and for a market where white meat is more popular than dark. The federation says a turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat.

Turkey hens lay eighty to 100 eggs in a season. Producers use artificial insemination to fertilize the eggs. The turkeys grow quickly. In fourteen weeks, a hen weighs seven kilograms and is ready for market. Males take eighteen weeks to reach fourteen kilograms.

Most turkeys are raised what is known as the conventional way. But some higher-priced birds are raised outdoors, without antibiotic drugs and with a diet of feed grown without chemicals.

Some small farms raise what are called heritage turkeys. These native birds are smaller and take longer to grow. But they mate naturally and have more of a balance of dark and white meat. Heritage turkeys have a stronger taste that some people like.

But turkeys are sold by weight, and people often buy big ones for the holidays. So price may be the biggest consideration of all.

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（來源:VOA  英語點津姍姍編輯）